A
Sampler
for the Student. To view a larger
continuous
animation, click on the image in each cell.

Please be patient!This is a large file with many
graphics that
may require several seconds to load.

The above animations are the
polar graphs of . . .

The middle image takes the
equation from polar form to rectangular coordinates.

Dr. Chabot's Maple Work Sheets
can be easily altered to graph any polar function on any
domain. [Only one line of code for each change.] The
instructions are in the Work Sheets linked on the left. The
provision is that you must own a copy of Maple.

These polar
graphs have
the shape of a petalled flower. They were named Rhondonea
in the 18th century by the Italian mathematician Guido Grandi.
Today
we call this a Rose polar graph.

In our equation, n
= 4,
an even number. If n is even, the Rose will
have
2n petals. If n is odd, the rose will have the odd number
of n-petals.